Walking Taco

This will be a lengthy article.  Since the Oscars air on Sunday night, it’s about time I get my list of the year’s best films up on here, as well as look over many of the current nominees contending this weekend.  I’ll start with my favorite films of 2009.

1. District 9 (Director: Neill Blomkamp)
(4 Nominations: Picture, Adapted Screenplay, Editing, Visual Effects)
A few years ago, production was set to begin on the $135 million  ‘Halo’ movie based on the popular video game to be produced by Peter Jackson.  He wanted his younger protege Neill Blomkamp to direct, but Fox Studios got cold feet and bailed on the project in the middle of pre-production.  Bouncing back quickly, Blomkamp returned to an old short-film he directed and decided to make a feature-length movie out of his original concept under a modest budget of $30 million.  How ‘Halo’ may have turned out, we will never know, but I bet Fox execs are still shaking their heads after the man’s enormous success.  ‘District 9′ is a flat-out masterpiece in every regard, surpassing even high expectations amongst the great hype surrounding it. The movie is socially conscience with something to say, generating strong and interesting conflict in its approach to the age-old alien invasion film. The movie also looks incredible (modest budget or not), is unbelievably intense and has hardcore action in it to boot. All the right elements combine to make the best, most ambitious and engrossing movie of the year.  It’s a thrill to see this get a Best Picture nomination.

2. Avatar (Director: James Cameron)
(9 Nominations: Picture, Director, Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction, Visual Effects,     Sound, Sound Editing, Original Score)
You want a game-changing, eye-popping thrill-ride ala ‘Star Wars,’ ‘Terminator 2′ and ‘Jurassic Park’? Here it is.  James Cameron returns to cinema with the most technically-impressive film to this day. As an immersing 3D package, ‘Avatar’ is a terrifically engaging and beautiful film. The story is very familiar, but the themes are universal and ongoing. This is a film about sheer spectacle, and it achieves everything it sets out to do. Will it plays as well at home? I don’t know. But on the big screen in 3D, it is one of the greatest movie-going experiences of all time, and what the cinema was made for.

3. 500 Days of Summer (Director: Marc Webb)
This movie really caught me off-guard. Marc Webb has directed one of the best films of 2009 by far, a very interpersonal and understanding ‘romance’ without a hint of mundane cliche to bog it down.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt is one of the best young actors out there, and Zooey Deschanel compliments him every step of the way.  I didn’t quite know which direction this movie was going, but it was funny, effective, and truthful. This is the date movie of the year, and the past few years.

4. Up in the Air (Director: Jason Reitman)
(6 Nominations: Picture, Actor (Clooney), Director, Supporting Actress (Vera Farmiga),
Supporting Actress (Anna Kendrick), Adapted Screenplay)
Jason Reitman is officially a brilliant filmmaker. After “Thank You For Smoking” and “Juno,” he delivers the year’s most timely film, and it couldn’t be more thought-provoking, darkly funny, challenging and heartbreaking. George Clooney has one of his best roles to date–able to evoke both disdain and sympathy within a brisk 2 hours. “Up in the Air” is a brilliant, airy, intelligent, and tragic film well worth seeing.

5. Moon (Director: Duncan Jones)
“Moon” represents brilliant science-fiction, plain and simple.  This is a complex, slow-moving character drama built entirely on countless themes ranging from the nature of man to morality. Sam Rockwell’s performance matches the quality of the script. “Moon” really is one of the best, most original, and though-provoking pieces of cinema to come out in 2009–and what a year it has been for sci-fi.

6. Inglourious Basterds (Director: Quentin Tarantino)
(8 Nominations: Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (Cristoph Waltz), Original Screenplay,
Editing, Cinematography, Sound, Sound Editing)
Tarantino’s latest is a heck of a ride for his fans, probably his best work since ‘Pulp Fiction.’  The cast is universally excellent for the exception of the Eli Roth bits. Watch out for Christoph Waltz as the central villain–his menacing, slithering performance is guaranteed to get him instant recognition and Oscar glory. As a whole, ‘Basterds’ is a bit hit-and-miss, but mostly an awesome, violent, bloody, hilarious, history-rewriting event of a movie that should not be missed.

7. Star Trek (Director: J.J. Abrhams)
(4 Nominations: Makeup, Visual Effects, Sound, Sound Editing)
“Star Trek” is one definite crowd-pleaser. It’s smothered with action, humor, strong actors, and has been gifted with a fun, if sometimes complicated, storyline. Somehow the filmmakers have managed to take what the franchise used to be, keep all the familiar elements and make them refreshing–and ultimately pretty darn cool. This Enterprise trip works best when the actors really carry their weight, and they’re usually spot-on in making “Trek” accessible, funny, crisp, and thrilling.

8. The Hurt Locker (Director: Kathryn Bigelow)
(9 Nominations: Picture, Director, Actor (Jeremy Renner), Original Screenplay, Editing,
Cinematography, Sound, Sound Editing, Original Score)
Kathryn Bigelow directs one of the most upfront and honest war films of the past decade.  There’s thrilling suspense and some raw emotion within this machine, but there’s nothing robotic or showy about it– look at the flakiness and self-importance that hindered “Stop Loss.” This is an action-thriller-drama that gets it right, without ever waving its arms your face, shying away from overacting and most of the usual syrup. Simple, straightforward, and real–”The Hurt Locker” is very good.

9. Up (Directors: Bob Peterson and Pete Docter)
(5 Nominations: Picture, Original Screenplay, Animated Feature, Sound Editing, Original
Score)
Pixar’s “Up” is truly delightful, a gorgeous-looking film with a lot of heart and tenderness. I didn’t find it to be as amiable, sharp or quietly intelligent as last year’s “Wall-E”, but I did enjoy its gargantuan scale of adventure, and its lead character Carl. With “Up,” Pixar again proves they are light-years ahead of the game with a bold story, memorable characters, and truckloads of imagination. The film also contains the year’s best and most heartbreaking scene: a montage of Carl and his wife’s relationship.  No other film this year has more heart than “Up.”

10. The Informant! (Director: Steven Soderbergh)
Steven Soderbergh hasn’t made a movie this good in quite awhile, probably not since his first outing with the ‘Ocean’ crew almost nine years ago (yeah, I was a big fan).  This film is a superbly entertaining comedic drama highlighting an excellent performance from Matt Damon, which is quite sad because this is one of his best performances by far, and the Academy instead gave him a nomination for his forgettable role in “Invictus.”  With all its wit and twisty plot, “The Informant!” has that casual, fun flow of “Catch Me if You Can” and should not be missed.

Honorable Mention:
The Road (Director: John Hillcoat)
Based on the famous Cormac McCarthy (No Country for Old Men) novel, this is a tremendously dark film–do not dismiss it as slow and uneventful. ‘The Road’ is an experience of a movie–a hauntingly beautiful one that depicts the end of the world not through movie studio executive eyes, but through a realistic, heartbreaking, and horrific approach. This is an intense movie featuring two excellent performances from Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee, both of whom capture an authentic desperation and emotional resonance with their characters.  Of all the post-apocalyptic flicks out there recently, this is the one that will be remembered.

Some other Academy Award Nominees to brush up on:

Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire (B+)
(6 Nominations: Picture, Director (Lee Daniels), Actress (Gabourey Sidibe), Supporting     Actress (Mo’Nique), Adapted Screenplay, Editing)
“Precious” is one of the hardest movies to sit through.  There is a very small light at the end of this vast dark tunnel, and taken as a sincere film featuring all-too-real performances from its cast, the movie works as a message for anyone suffering under the hand of abuse. Director Lee Daniels has made a hard-hitting film that only sporadically becomes distracted by music video numbers taking place in Precious’ world, scenes that pull us out of the drama. Otherwise, this is an effective film.

A Serious Man (B+) (2 Nominations: Picture, Original Screenplay)
“A Serious Man” is another solid flick for the Coen Brothers.  In fact, the movie is at times quite brilliant, darkly and sneakily funny, but other times extremely odd. I guess that’s their trademark. Michael Stuhlbarg is extraordinary here and handles the material well, taking on a role likely suited to Ben Stiller in a more mainstream film. The Coen’s are too smart for that kind of commonplace shenanigan, and  they elevate “A Serious Man” to a seriously funny, somewhat whacked movie.

The Blind Side (B) (2 Nominations: Picture, Actress: Sandra Bullock)
Sandra Bullock commands your attention while newcomer Quinton Aaron grabs your heart in this sappy inspirational movie about family, hope, motherhood and football.  You know exactly where this melodrama is heading, but you want to go along anyway.  The Capra-esque vibe is infectious, and these two actors are an unstoppable force even in such manufactured studio formula (even though it is based on a real-life story).

An Education (B)
(3 Nominations: Picture, Actress (Carey Mulligan), Adapted Screenplay)
“An Education” is a light drama that goes exactly where you know it will go.  Carey Mulligan, well deserving of her Oscar nomination, scores huge with her role, and everything else is adequate.  The movies depicts its era well, but “An Education” doesn’t feel like a Best Picture nominee.  It’s another coming-of-age tale, and it’s fine and all, but it’s not as great as it has been hailed outside of Mulligan’s performance.

Nine (B+)
(4 Nominations: Supporting Actress (Penelope Cruz), Art Direction, Costume Design, Original Song)
Rob Marshall’s ‘Nine’ adaptation is a whirlwind of energy, excitement, and beauty. Critics may have turned their back on it, and it may have become the biggest flop of 2009, but that’s too bad because, while uneven, the movie is enormously entertaining featuring an endless line of talented performances. Without the odd Kate Hudson number, “Nine” is otherwise a fantastic kick-back and enjoy musical–far better than the recent “Mamma Mia!’ and ‘Fame,’ and one of the most gorgeous movies of ‘09.

The Messenger (B)
(2 Nominations: Supporting Actor (Woody Harrelson), Original Screenplay)
The entire cast shines in yet another anti-war film this year that actually works. Following in the footsteps of ‘The Hurt Locker,’ “The Messenger” is a heartbreaking war film that tells the other side of the coin–the men informing the families of their fellow fallen soldiers. While sometimes a bit melodramatic, “The Messenger” is more often than not a touching and authentic film from beginning to end.  I’m happy to see Woody Harrelson score an Oscar nomination for his work here.

Invictus (B)
(2 Nominations: Actor (Morgan Freeman), Supporting Actor: Matt Damon)
Clint Eastwood makes great movies, and ‘Invictus’ happens to be a good movie aspiring for greatness. There’s something very Hallmark about this Nelson Mandela/Rugby film. It’s meant to inspire and get people off their feet, but I felt as though much of the importance at heart went skimmed over. Morgan Freeman is great here–but it’s to no surprise, and Matt Damon is fine, but hasn’t much to do. In the end, I was left admiring a project I had little investment in.

Crazy Heart (B-)
(3 Nominations: Actor (Jeff Bridges), Supporting Actress (Maggie Gyllenhaal), Original Song)
Jeff Bridges turns in a praise-worthy performance in a run-of-the-mill Oscar bait movie if ever there was one.  This is this year’s ‘The Wrestler,’ but ‘Crazy Heart’ isn’t as impacting. The relationships and plot developments are by-the-numbers. It’s a satisfactory movie with all the trappings of alcohol abuse and relational dysfunction with a country music backdrop. The film will be remembered solely as the vehicle for which the Academy paid Jeff Bridges his due, and nothing more.

Julie & Julia (B-) (Nomination: Best Actress–Meryl Streep)
I’m not the intended audience for “Julie and Julia,” so to my surprise it was satisfactory.  Other viewers may find it dull or rich or entertaining–it’s a lot of everything. Perhaps that’s because it’s a very light film, very warm and airy.  Meryl Streep is excellent in it, and Amy Adams is likable.  Would I watch it again? No, it didn’t interest me much, but the movie is well-made.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (B+) (1 Nomination: Cinematography)
The movies continue to impress. ‘The Half Blood Prince’ is less action, more explanation–but man is this a thick, layered and increasingly intense story. Lord Voldemort, despite his absence in this one, is the center of all the chaos and looming darkness. I enjoyed more humor being salted over this film (the dating, relationships, etc.), but also so much development in the plot this time, even if it has to end abruptly to pave way for the last two-part movie. This is a triumphant chapter.

Sherlock Holmes (C+) (2 Nominations: Art Direction, Original Score)
Robert Downey, Jr. has recently jump-started his career again, and so it’s a pleasure to see him swashbuckling his way through this fast and often funny adventure film. My problem with the film: Guy Ritchie. He takes a lot of directorial nods from his “Rock N Rolla” and “Snatch” to deliver a confusing, almost uninteresting narrative. With that said, the action and comedy deliver for the most part, and for that reason “Holmes” will be a fun time for most, you will just wonder what’s going on.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (C+) (1 Nomination: Sound)
Yes, even those morphing bots (a huge box-office success before ‘Avatar’ made it shrink in comparison) in a movie everyone seems to have went to see but hated with a passion, get a little Oscar love this year.  I can’t hate on the film as much as many simply because most of us fanboys are forgetting that the first film was an undeniably fun, goofy thrill-ride.  “Transformers 2″ starts off pretty well. It’s well-paced, humorous (for the exception of those racist bots), the action is solid, the effects are great, and it kept me involved. I totally thought critics had lost their minds at first. Then somehow the characters zap into Egypt and things fall apart. The plot takes a major dive and the final battle becomes too long and not engaging like the first film.

Oscar Predictions:
If there’s one thing that we know about this Sunday night, is that the awards should be spread around quite a bit.  Otherwise, the year appears to be pretty predictible with perhaps the only real surprise being the showdown between ex-married couple Kathryn Bigelow and James Cameron. It’s likely that the two will trade off Best Picture and Best Director, but which way will they swing?  Technically, Cameron is a director like none other.  The whole world he created in Avatar existed in his mind, and he waited fourteen years to get the technology caught to bring his vision to life.  On the other hand, Bigelow stayed low-key and brought arguably the grittiest action film of the year to the screen, totally defying the playing field in a man’s world of bullets and explosions.  Her war film “The Hurt Locker” makes Michael Bay look like a pansy in comparison.  Well, Cameron has earned his Oscar for ‘Titanic’, and ‘Hurt Locker’ only grossed a measly $12 million, which would make it the lowest grossing film to win an Oscar by a wide margin. “Avatar” is the biggest movie of all time.  I’ll give Bigelow her award for Best Director, and give audience favorite “Avatar” the win for Best Picture.

Best Original Screenplay: Inglourious Basterds
Best Adapted Screenplay: Up in the Air
Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Best Supporting Actress: Mo’Nique, Precious
Best Actor: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
Best Actress: Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Best Picture: Avatar

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It’s rare that audiences get treated to good horror movies.  Luckily, a filmmaker or two comes around to deliver one.  Off the top of my head only a few flicks of the last year even come to mind.  “Drag Me to Hell” was a return to form for Sam Raimi fans, and while it’s arguably a straight-up comedy, “Zombieland” was a solid dose of fun.  “The Crazies” hits screens as a remake of a George A. Romero film from 1973 that most (including me) haven’t seen.  So taken on its own terms, this 2010 film works adequately at what it’s setting out to do.

The film opens during a little league baseball game.  A rigid old man, formerly the town drunk, walks onto the field with a rifle in hand. Timothy Olyphant, the bland star of “Live Free or Die Hard” and “Hitman,” and the bright spot of “A Perfect Getaway” and “The Girl Next Door,” plays small-town officer David Dutton.  He confronts the man only to find himself staring down the barrel of the gun before having to make a split-second decision.  He discharges his sidearm and takes the old man’s life.  From here on out, the town becomes stricken with multiple obscure cases involving individuals going mad and attempting/committing murder.  Dutton and his trusted deputy soon discover something has gone terribly wrong with the town’s water supply, turning its inhabitants into vicious killers before becoming zombie-like monsters.  Eventually the whole area becomes quarantined by the U.S. army, and Dutton must fight to protect his wife and unborn child.

Of the many recent zombie films, “The Crazies” fits right in.  I know many horror buffs claim that this isn’t exactly a “zombie” film because the infected people have some form of human consciousness–but come on, they get an infection, start attacking people, and turn into the perfect visual aid of a zombie.  So if I continue to refer to them as such you’ll just have to deal with it.  While I wouldn’t say this movie ranks quite as high as “28 Weeks Later” or the 2004 “Dawn of the Dead,” it’s a close call.  Director Breck Eisner (of the forgettable 2005 “Sahara’) knows how to instill some raging intensity in a scene. Granted, most of the sequences here have a certain familiarity and standardization to them especially within the genre, but he isn’t simply selling truckloads of gore. Sure, there is some of that, but he never forgets that the horror rests not ultimately with the zombies, but with human versus human confrontation.  The most interesting aspect of “The Crazies” is the fact that there is some form of humanity left in these monsters.  They have thoughts and memories, but with a damaged mind–driven to murder.  M. Night Shyamalan should have waited and taken notes from this film when developing the atrocious “The Happening.”  “The Crazies” also features a few memorable scenes, making it more than disposable horror, and ones concerning ‘the living dead.’  The tone of the movie never falters, and it also never loses sight of moral questions and dilemmas, providing the right commentary to give reason for the movie.  It’s still not a spectacular movie, or the horror film to reinvent the genre, but with solid performances across the board, excellent cinematography and unnerving tension the whole way through, “The Crazies” makes a standard zombie affair quite entertaining.

Grade: B-

-MJV & the Movies

Horror Breck Eisner, Radha Mitchell, Timothy Olyphant

Mel Gibson, long absent from headlining films as an actor, returns with the gritty, generically-titled revenge-thriller “Edge of Darkness.”  The movie pits him as a Boston Police Detective, Tom Craven, investigating the murder of his daughter.  Shortly after picking up his 22-year-old from the airport to stay with him, she is gunned down on the front porch and dies in his arms.  With her death appearing to be a botched attempt on his own life, Craven begins an investigation that will lead him into his daughter’s secret life of political conspiracy, you know… the kind where everything is classified and no one can be trusted, including a shadowy operative ‘fixer’ (Ray Winstone) who follows Tom around and never fully discloses whether he is there to help, or lead Tom into a deadly trap.

Skillfully directed by Martin Campbell (Casino Royale, The Mask of Zorro) from a script adapted by William Monohan (Oscar-winner for The Departed), “Edge of Darkness” is a goofy plot full of holes and question marks with a conspiracy behind it that isn’t as well constructed as it think it is.  Oddly enough, that doesn’t much matter.  Gibson, even after an eight-year absence, is still a presence to be reckoned with, despite having a little less hair and a few more lines in his face.  His credibility remains (forget the personal life garbage), and the man is back.  His restraint in the film makes his mission more intense, and even when everything is resolved and other character motivations and plot advances seem shaky, Gibson remains that solid force that holds this thing together.  The direction of Campbell and the darkness of the script from Monohan also helps immensely.  Let me make this clear… “Edge of Darkness” is not “Taken.” There’s nothing Jason Bourne or cartoonish about the action here.  Campbell’s film is slow-moving, procedural, and much more mystery than shoot-em-up.  That actually helps establish a real-world context, and makes some intense moments all the more surprising and effective.  For those wanting bang-bang and impressive stunt-work, look elsewhere.  That’s not on the agenda, although there is action and big-budget action moments, the movie is all about atmosphere, and not for those with a short attention span.

After all is said and done, “Edge of Darkness” crams a lot of hooey plot devices and questionable conclusions in the way of a gritty thriller, from its lack of the father-daughter relationship being well-established, to its head-scratching conspiracy.  That’s okay.  Gibson, Monohan, and Campbell deliver an exciting film, and I expected no less.  Audiences should be pleased with Gibson’s return–the man is in fine form, and who better to deliver the vengeful goods than our very own mid-50s Martin Riggs?  I’ve never seen a Gibson film I didn’t enjoy, and no I haven’t seen them all, but I’ve seen probably about 2/3 of his line-up.  “Edge of Darkness” adds to the list.  It’s a tough, violent R-rated thriller that plays very well while you watch it.

GRADE: B

Action, Drama, Mystery Martin Campbell, Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone, William Monohan

What a complete waste of genuine comic talent.  Tell me, how can a movie go so wrong?  “Couples Retreat” has Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau and Jason Bateman–these talented guys could each carry their own movie to hilarious heights and have found themselves in the same movie.  Through studio intervention, terrible writing, zero jokes, and lazy performances, “Couples Retreat” amounts to an all-star cast getting to shoot a movie on a vacation island and party for a few weeks.

The plot of the movie centers around a couple (Jason Bateman, Kristen Bell) having martial problems and deciding that a dream vacation will heal the wounds and save their marriage.  But they need three sets of friends to drop their lives and head out with them to get the great group-rate package.  So the three couples (Vince Vaughn, Malin Akerman), (Jon Favreau, Kristin Davis), (Faizon Love, Kali Hawk) head off to paradise with the ‘Bateman, Bell” couple for a two-week vacation that turns into… you guessed it… disaster, and the worst kind of disaster–the kind that renders the movie a complete disaster.  Every comic scenario fails… From a lame shark attack, to Faizon’s character having to drop his pants without any underwear on, to an up-close-and-personal yoga instructor who looks like Kevin Sorbo with stubble, to (I kid you not…) a Guitar Hero face-off.  Absolutely nothing works.  Frankly, I’m getting tired of Vaughn turning in these garbage paycheck movies (Fred Claus, Four Christmases) that turn into box-office hits.  He is a very funny guy, but he’s in unfunny movies lately.  “Couples Retreat” has been slapped together and filled with unlikable characters.  These three schlubs have been saddled with gorgeous significant others and can’t seem to make their relationship work, how sad.  And the funny thing is, none of them learn anything.  The movie abruptly ends when the movie is spiraling out of control.  These pivotal shifts in character fail to happen throughout the movie, and then in the last minutes, the filmmakers seem to realize they are running out of time and have the couples reunite and fall back in love with zero foundation as to why.  Just spare yourself–this is one stupid, terrible movie.  If there’s a point of interest in it, it’s the fact that Peter Billingsley (who played Ralphie in “A Christmas Story”) directed this botch-job.

GRADE: D

Comedy Jason Bateman, Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn

What a wonder it is to find Sandra Bullock having the two biggest movies of her career (one sure to get her an Oscar nomination) and the most critically reviled film of her career all in the same year.  After the enormous financial success of this summer’s rom-com “The Proposal” and the stink that “All About Steve” left behind, Bullock bounces back with the most successful sports film of all time.  Does it deserve such a title?  Well I would look to “The Natural,” “The Wrestler,” “Rocky,” “Miracle,” “Raging Bull” and several others (classic and more recent) ahead of “Blind Side,” but I can’t deny its wide appeal.

This movie has all the makings of a major hit—taking a proven formula to tell the story of homeless African-American Michael Oher, taken in by the upscale white conservative Touhy family (Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw) while attending a Christian prep school.  The family gives Michael a room and a bed, eventually adopts him and helps him to earn solid enough grades to play high school football and earn a college scholarship–which ultimately sends him to NFL stardom later on.

When a flick is as likable and sugary as this, it’s hard to knock it.  Even though every frame feels done before, the film nevertheless engages with its Capra-esque tone and feel.  The inspirational, feel-good factor reaches to the sky here (especially that it’s based on a true story).  Sandra Bullock takes on a driven, strong-willed maternal figure that is likely to land her the big golden statue. Michael (newcomer Quinton Aaron), the underdog hero of the film, is a gentle giant of few words (is there any other kind?) with a giving spirit underneath a blanket of silence.  The Touhy family brings him out of his shell to confront the violence and unfortunate environment he grew up in.  Between Bullock and Aaron, these two actors create an unstoppable force of melodrama that captivates the audience whether or not you want to surrender to it. Bullock holds our attention—giving us the best kind of mom—the kind you don’t want to mess with, a performance that commands the screen. Quinton Aaron takes our hearts with puppy-dog eyes and restraint that instantly generates that lump in the throat,  the kind that carries us through this formal studio manufacturing of a movie.  We know exactly where “The Blind Side” is headed (whether you know the source material or not) and we gladly go along with it anyway.  Eventually it becomes apparent that the film has very little to do with football or sports in general.  It’s a film about motherhood, about family, and about hope.  It’s hard to resist.

GRADE: B

Drama, Sports John Lee Hancock, Kathy Bates, Quinton Aaron, Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw

Here is the toughest movie to sit through all year, and oddly enough it’s not the lowest of the Hollywood dreck, it’s a film depicting some of the harshest human reality.  Lee Daniels directs “Precious: Based on a Novel By Sapphire.”  Forget the ridiculous subtitle, this is a movie meant as a message for victims of abuse (based on a novel I haven’t read), not for gloss, glamor or any of the numerous awards attention its landed.

Newcomer Gabourey Sidibe plays Precious, an overweight, illiterate sixteen year-old African-American middle schooler who is pregnant with her second child of her own father’s after being raped.  She sits in class without saying a word or even looking others in the eye.  She goes home to a rundown apartment in Harlem only to endure the physical and mental abuse of her bitter and angry mother (Mo’Nique) who blames her for stealing away her boyfriend.  Precious is convinced that she is wasted space–stupid, ugly, and will never find anyone that cares for her.  That is until she is referred to a special school where a teacher (Paula Patton) instructs her how to read and write, and strives to prove to her that she is valuable.

While it may sound like the Lifetime movie of the week, these dramas rarely strive for honesty like “Precious” does.  This movie depicts violence, rape, and abuse as real  and as confusing as it is to our main character.  Much of this is hard to watch, as it should be.  But Lee Daniels isn’t sugarcoating anything, and he’s also not exploiting his topic.  The four actresses in this movie help keep things in check.  Sidbe is heartbreaking.  Mo’Nique is completely absorbed in her ruthless character.  Paula Patton holds her own in the cliche ‘inspirational teacher’ role, Ms. Rain, a role that lends itself more gravity than I would have anticipated.  Perhaps the oddest choice among the four is Mariah Carey (in a role you absolutely won’t recognize her in, because I sure didn’t).  She plays a social worker having nearly as much invested in Precious as Ms. Rain.  Together these actresses are an unstoppable force in a film only hindered by music video type sequences that Precious envisions to take herself out of her tormented life.  Sadly, they take the audience out of the drama once in a while.  But otherwise, this movie sticks to its guns.  “Precious” looks for the very small twinkle of light at the end of a very dark tunnel, and eventually it gets there, but it’s a rough road.

GRADE: B+

Drama Gabourey Sidibe, Lee Daniels, Mariah Carey, Mo'Nique, Paula Patton

Jim Sheridan (My Left Foot, In America) directs one of the finest acting ensembles of the year in “Brothers,” an isolating and tense drama featuring a standout performance from Tobey Maguire.

Maguire plays Sam Cahill, a family man marine called back into combat shortly after his brother, Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal), returns home on parole.  Natalie Portman plays Grace, Sam’s wife.  During a helicopter mission in Afghanistan, Sam’s chopper is shot down, and he and another private are taken as POWs.  The two are assumed dead.  Grace, her two daughters and the rest of the family quickly hear of this news.  Tommy takes it upon himself to turn his life around and be there for Grace and the kids.

“Brothers” actually surprised me with how low-key the movie plays out (for the most part).  The scenes with Maguire and the torture he endures while taken hostage by the enemy are less intense and sadistic than I was anticipating.  Not to say they aren’t impacting and intense, but Sheridan often cuts away from some of the more disturbing shots.  The film’s greatest strength and source of intensity comes from its many talented actors.   The young actresses that play the daughters are some of the best child actors I’ve witnessed.  10-year-old Bailee Madison, especially, has some remarkable delivery here.  Among the adult actors, Jake Gyllenhaal has a fine understated performance as the distant drunk brother who slowly turns himself into a family man.  Sam Shepherd makes the most of his cliched angry Vietnam vet father spouting off the infamous “the wrong kid died” anger towards Tommy.  Natalie Portman should earn some attention as the confused grieving wife, who in some respects, takes the reigns of the movie.

But above all, perhaps the biggest surprise is Tobey Maguire, showing a side of his acting abilities we haven’t yet seen as we’ve become accustomed to “Spider-Man” and “Seabiscuit.”  Upon his character’s return home following his mind-altering abuse and captivity, Maguire sends “Brothers” soaring with a few select, memorable scenes that ratchet up the tension immensely.  Whether his performance qualifies him for a leading actor role (the Golden Globes thought so) or a supporting actor, it’s disappointing that so many critics’ circles and reviewers are dismissing his performance.  I’ve read phrases like “you either buy his performance or you don’t,” and I can say that I did.  Maguire is finely tuned here, showcasing the dark side of his capabilities.

Overall, “Brothers” often times feels like talented actors and a handful of tense scenes piled on an average “been there, done that” story mixed in with a big anti-war message.  We’ve seen many ‘coming home’ films about the impact of combat and the destructive power it has on its soldiers.  Some of these movies hit (The Hurt Locker, Born on the 4th of July), some miss (Stop Loss), and this one definitely works very well when it works very well.  If for no other reason, the film should be seen for Maguire’s performance and those moments here that are effective.  Otherwise, I found a lot of this to be standard procedure, even if it’s done adequately by a talented cast.

GRADE: B

Drama, War Jake Gyllenhaal, Jim Sheridan, Natalie Portman, Sam Shepherd, Tobey Maguire

Jason Reitman is officially a brilliant filmmaker. After “Thank You For Smoking” and “Juno,” he delivers another surefire awards contender. His third film couldn’t be more timely, thought-provoking, darkly funny, challenging and heartbreaking. George Clooney has one of his best roles to date, and quite possibly delivers his best performance to date.  He plays Ryan Bingham, a service-for-hire executive rented out by companies big and small to essentially terminate employees and save employers from growing a backbone.  Bingham spends most of his time alone, flying all over the country and sleeping in hotels.  His greatest ambition is to earn a record of ten million flier miles and earn himself a special name-tag.  Life switches gears on him when his company hires a new gal (Anna Kendrick) to turn employee termination into a 5-minute private chatroom via the internet, saving the company all the travel expenses.  Bingham objects to the idea and has to take the young graduate under his wing and demonstrate why he is so good at his work.  Along the way he meets Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga–The Departed), another executive with a similar lifestyle of constant travel, and potential romance ensues.

I can’t stress enough how brilliant Clooney is in this film–able to evoke disdain and sympathy within a brisk 2 hours.  Jason Reitman has penned his screenplay adaptation so strategically and carefully, and it really pays off.  He has an ear for dialogue and an eye for his characters.  Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick also deliver strongly in a film praised for great reason.  “Up in the Air” is a brilliant, airy, intelligent, and tragic film well worth seeing.

GRADE: B+

Drama